Petroleum product cracking apparatus



Nov. 18, 1947.

F. E. MASON PETROLEUM-PRODUCT CRACKING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 27, 1944 2Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. Fkfl/NKEMAJON H T TOE/VEYS Nov. 18, 1947. F. E.MASON 2,431,060

PETROLEUM PRODUCT CRACKING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 27, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet2 INVENTOR. I RflNK 5 MHJOH #TTOKNEY Patented Nov. 18, 1947 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE PETROLEUM PRODUCT CRACKING APPARATUS 1 Claim.

This invention relates to an apparatus to which I refer as a rectifyingplant and more particularly to apparatus for the treating of certainpetroleum products, by heat and pressure; for example, to treat lowgrade or third structure gasoline to improve its quality.

More specifically stated, the invention has for its object to provide animproved apparatus for carrying out a certain treatment, or crackingprocess, whereby the octane value of third structure gasoline may besubstantially increased and the product rendered more volatile andbetter fuel values obtained.

It is also an object of this invention to provide apparatus for theabove stated purpose that is an improvement upon the apparatus that wasdescribed and illustrated in U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,652,563, issuedto David E. DeLape onDecember 13, 1927, in that it is more effective forthe general purposes therein stated, and for the various objects abovestated.

Yet another object of the present invention is to include means thereinwhereby the heretofore unused butane gas that is produced in theheretofore used cracking operations, may be returned to the still orretort and there neutralized and caused to combine with the vaporizedstock, thus to increase the gasoline output from the operation.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide novel means for theuse and neutralization of the butane gas through the injection ofcadmium or an equivalent metal into the vaporizing coil.

Still further objects of the invention reside in the details ofconstruction of the various parts of the apparatus, in theircombination, relationship and use to produce the results and toaccomplish the objects above set forth.

In accomplishing the above mentioned, and other objects of theinvention, I have provided the improved details of construction, thepreferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings,wherein Fig. 1 is a view diagrammatically showing the arrangement andconnection of parts of the present apparatus.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, cross sectional View of the lead bath retorts andconnections.

Fig. 3 is a sectional detail of one of the parts.

The present invention contemplates the controlled drawing off of stockto be treated, such as low grade or third structure gasoline, from asource of supply, forcing it under definite pressure and specified hightemperature through a pipe coil wherein the stock is vaporized orgassified under definite pressure; the vapors and gases therein mixedwith the selected agent for neutralization of the butane gas; thenpassing the vapors through a first and second molten lead bath, underhigh temperature and pressure for cracking or decomposition under thepressure of the lead bath and ultimately delivering the gases to afractionating tower and finally condensing and returning the condensateto storage. The apparatus, in its improved construction, for the statedpurpose, is arranged as follows:

The principal elements, or units of the present improved apparatuscomprise a suitable masonry furnace, designated in its entirety byreference character III, a fractionating column or tower I2, and acondenser I3. The stock, or product that is to be treated, is hereindicated as being drawn from a tank I4 and the finished product, afterthe rectifying treatment, is discharged from the condenser into astorage tank I5.

The furnace It, in a preferred construction, comprises a fire box I6, aprimary combustion chamber IT and a secondary combustion chamber I8.Preferably such a furnace would be oil fired and therefore it is hereshown as being equipped with a typical oil burner designated at I9.

Gases of combustion flow from the fire box I6, through a wall passage 26into the primary combustion chamber I? and from the latter, flow througha passage 2| in a cross wall 22 that divides the furnace, and into thesecondary chamber I8. A stack 23 extends from the furnace for carryingoff the gases from the chamber I8.

The top of the furnace chamber I7 is covered by a plate 24 and likewisechamber I8 is covered by a plate 260. and these are formed with openingsas may be required for passage of pipes, fiues and the like.

Stock to be treated is drawn from the storage or supply tank l4, througha pipeline 26 and is delivered under a definite hydrostatic pressure bya suitable pump 21 that is interposed in the pipe line, into the lowerend of a pipe coil 28. This coil is enclosed within a housing 29 locatedinside the furnace chamber l8 and suspended from the cover plate 24a.This housing may be in the nature of a tank through which water isadapted to be circulated to regulate or limit the temperature to whichthe coil may be subjected. For this purpose, the tank is shown as beingequipped with the pipe connections 35 and ti. From the upper end of pipecoil 28, a pipe line 32 leads across the top of the furnace where it isconnected with a plurality of downwardly extended branch pipes 33, whichextend through plate 2 3 into the furnace and then through the top wallof a closed pot or chamber 34. containing a molten lead bath designatedat 85, that is contained in the lower or bas portion of the pot. Openinginto the base of the pot are plurality of tubular Wells 3? also filledwith the molten lead. The

pipes 32 extend down into these wells and open thereinto near theirlower ends. These wells give a desired and an efiective depth to thelead bath and thereby an effective pressure in th pipe system.

Adjacent the primary lead bath 35, is a secondary lead bath 39 in aclosed vessel or pot to. Both pots 3 1 and 183 are contained in thechamber 11, and the pot 3 is equipped with a gas dome 22 extending upfrom its top wall. A gooseneck pipe line at leads from this dome to thepot it] opening upwardly into the latter through its bottom wall.

From the top of the pot lit, a pipe line leads up through top plate 2and connects with series of branch lines ss te'-ss", which lead cii atdifferent levels into the fractionating column or tower l2; and from thetop of tower l2, a pipe line a)? leads to the top of condenser 53 andfrom the lower end of the condenser, a line 28 extends to the storagetank E5. The tower i2 is of the usual types as is also the condenser.

For the purpose of increasing the quality of low boiling pointhydrocarbons produced in this apparatus, an annular tube 53 is providedin the upper portion of the pot or still 3 3 for the introduction ofhydrogen; the tube 53 is perforated and is connected at its outer end toa suitable source of hydrogen through a pipe connection designated atiii.

It has been found that the cracking and hydrogenation of petroleumproducts can sometimes be facilitated by the presence of a catalyticagent; various metals including nickel, having been used for thispurpose. Therefore, I have arranged a plurality of grids 52 in the upperportion of pct 35, made of the suitable catalyst. Each grid may be of adesired form and here are shown to consist of perforated disks, eachdisk having its perforations staggered and the disks slightly separated.The grids may be joined as a unit, and the unit arranged to be slidlaterally from and into the pot and the pot tightly sealed.

It will be here mentioned that valves 5% and 55 for regulating flow ofthe stock are set in the pipe line 26 at opposite sides of the pum El.Also, suitable valves 56 are interposed in the upper ends of the severalbranch pipes 33 adjacent their connection with the pipe line 32 toregulate flow to the retort s2, Also, a valve 5? is interposed in pipe55 and individual valves 52 are applied to the branch pipe lines it- 3615 leading into the fractionating tower.

For the purpose of injecting the selected agent for neutralization ofthe butane gas formed in the pipe system prior to the vapor or gasesentering the lead bath, I extend the upper end of pipe coil 28 and theadjoining end of pipe line 32 into a, closed housing 60 in whichprovision is made for the placing of the agent without permitting lossof pressure. For this purpose, the housing is provided within its upperportion, which extends from the retort, with a cylinder 6| containing arotary valve member. This valve covers a top opening 63 leading into thehousing. The valve is provided between its ends with a laterally openingpocket 51 adapted to contain a quantity of the selected agent. The valvemay be rotated a half turn to register the pocket 61 for filling througha top opening 68, then rotated back to discharge the agent into thehousing through the opening 63.

The agent which is now found quite desirable for this purpose iscadmium, but thalium or germanium may also be used with satisfactoryresults.

When this metal is injected in the housing, it vaporizes and in thisstate is picked up by or mingles with the gas or vapor flowing throughthe housing to pipe 32. This gasified agent converts sulphur into leadsulphide and incidentally increases the octane content.

With the apparatus so constructed, the operation and use thereof wouldbe substantially as follows:

Stock from the supply tank is admitted under pressure to the coil 28which is maintained at a regulated temperature where it is vaporized andflows through pipe 32 and the various branch pipes33 into the first leadbath. From the dome of this chamber, the vapors and gases arisingthrough the lead pass to the second lead bath and from this aredelivered through the pipe 65 to the fractionating column. From thecolumn, they are delivered through pipe 51 to the condenser andultimately to the storage tank,

The particular arrangement of wells in connection with the first leadbath permits of a desired depth of lead without excessive volume. Thesewells may be flanged and removably connected with the base of thecontainer in order that should any one of them burn out, it can bereplaced without necessitating draining of the entire lead chamber.

Heat in the chamber ll should be maintained at approximately 1000temperature. Pressure in the first lead bath chamber is about fiftypounds, or more if necessary. Cadmium, or the equivalent metal, isinjected into the line, which at that point is at about 780 F. The vaporproduced from this injected metal acts on the butane gas to efiect itsneutralization.

By this process, the octane value of the gasoline treated issubstantially increased and the product rendered more volatile and abetter fuel.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

An apparatus of the character described, comprising a furnace, a retortin the furnace comprising a closed chamber formed in its bottom with aplurality of relatively deep wells, a lead bath filling the wells andpartially filling the chamber, a second closed chamber in the furnacefor containing a quantity of molten lead, a preheating ooil in thefurnace, a pipe line from a source of supply of hydrocarbon liquidleading to a pressure pump, a pipe line for delivery of the liquidhydrocarbon under pressure to the preheating coil from the pump, a valvemechanism in the preheating coil for the injection of abutane-neutralizing agent into the liquid, a

5 pipe line leading from the coil to the retort and having branch pipestherefrom directed downwardly through the retort chamber and eachextended into one of the said wells to near the lower end thereof forthe admission of the hydrocarbon to the retort through and against thehydrostatic head pressure of the lead bath, a series of perforatedcatalyzing grids fitted in the chamber above the lead bath, a pipeconnection from th top of the retort to the bottom of the second closedchamber for conduction of gases into the latter through the lead, afractionating column, a condenser for receiving products from thefractionating column and a receptacle for receiving condensed productsfrom the condenser.

FRANK E. MASON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 414,601 Stevens Nov. 5, 18891,212,620 Frasch Jan. 16, 1917 1,319,569 Andrews et al Oct. 28, 19191,391,569 Nelson I Sept. 20, 1921 1,412,540 Nelson II Apr. 11, 19221,635,519 Wells et a1. July 12, 1937 1,971,748 Govers Aug. 28, 19341,993,017 Nelson III Mar. 5, 1935 1,329,739 Andrews et al. Feb. 3, 19201,324,766 Fleming Dec. 9, 1919

